Method and apparatus for fabricating fishing lures etc.

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for producing fishing lures incorporating hook hangers which utilize a bore formed in the lure body as part of the connection mechanism. Injection molding techniques are utilized to fill cavity molds having removable inserts therein.

THE INVENTION

This invention relates to fishing lures and to methods of fabricatingfishing lures which utilize a rapid connect hook hanger of the typedefined in the co-pending application Ser. No. 760,920 on "LoopRetainer" filed by Welbourne D. McGahee. The novel concepts embodiedherein embrace special techniques of injection molding and themechanical assembly of molded products, hook hangers, and hooks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The production of fishing lures has progressed from a relatively earlystate of the art where lure bodies were carved of wood and similarmaterials to the present technology which utilizes injection moldingtechniques. However, regardless of whether the lure body is a handcarved object or an injection molded piece, the hook hangers, hooks andleader connectors must be attached by a time consuming manual procedure.These procedures include riveting or screwing hook hanger devices ontolure bodies with the hook in position on the hanger or subsequentlyattached thereto with a split ring. Alternate methods of production areutilized where a screw eye is assembled to a hook eye and the screw eyeis then manually threaded into the lure body. Similar techniques areused to affix the leader connecting mechanism at the front of the lurebody and each apparatus which is affixed to the lure necessitates anumber of manual manipulations.

Prior art fishing lures are dangerous to ship and store because of thedanger presented by the hooks which are permanently installed duringmanufacture. This permanency of installation also contributes to therelatively short useful life of fishing lures which is a direct functionof the deterioration of hook points. Because hooks cannot beinterchanged quickly, the lures are usually discarded.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to providea method for assembling a lure in which the hangers and hooks may beaffixed with a minimal amount of manual labor.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a method offabricating a lure which may be completely automated.

A still further objective of the present invention is to provide a diefor injection molding which is adapted to position hook hangers so thatthey will become an integral part of the final molded object.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a method andapparatus for forming a bore within a molded lure body that isdimensioned to cooperate with a spring hook hanger.

A still further objective of the present invention is to provide amethod for manufacturing fishing lures which will reduce laborrequirements and result in an inexpensive end product.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a fishing lurein which final assembly of hooks is accomplished by the user immediatelyprior to use thus making it safer to ship and store.

A still further objective of the present invention is to provide afishing lure which incorporates a means to permit easy and rapid hookexchange and thus greatly extend lure flexibility and life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention presents a fishing lure and a method of assemblingfishing lures which may be accomplished manually with a minimal amountof labor expended or alternately may be completely automated. Itincludes the steps of forming a lure body with integral cups andassociated hook hangers, and affixing the hooks thereto by pressing theminto the cups so that the spring hook hanger snaps into the hook eye.Alternate embodiments are disclosed which include the concept of moldinga one piece body in a split die incorporating recesses to secure thehook hangers so they will be properly positioned during the formingprocess.

The patent also presents methods for forming cups within lures whichinclude the use of a removable cup forming male mold piece that may beused to hold a spring hook hanger in proper position and then removedfrom the lure body after the injection molding step is completed.

The foregoing and other objectives of the invention will become apparentin light of the drawings, specifications and claims contained herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a typical fishing lure in the process ofmanual assembly.

FIG. 2 illustrates the two halves of a hollow lure adapted to utilizethe assembly methods contained herein.

FIGS. 3A through 3D depict the sequence of placing a hook eye on theretainer.

FIGS. 4A through 4D depict the sequence of events required to remove ahook.

FIGS. 5A through 5D depict the sequence of events required to place aneyelet on the retainer when the retainer end is in close proximity tothe bore bottom.

FIGS. 6 through 14 illustrate various embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 15 is a cutaway view of a metal die adapted to mold a solid lureincorporating the improvements required to enable fabrication by themethod disclosed herein.

FIG. 16 is a detailed view of a cup forming means used in an alternatemethod of injection molding a solid lure.

FIGS. 17 and 19 illustrate integral cups and spring hangers used inalternate embodiments of lure assembly.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram depicting an automated lure assembly sequence.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the essence of the presentinvention, that is, assembling the hooks to a fishing lure by simplypressing them into the lure body and removing them by pressing them intothe lure body and twisting.

In FIG. 1 the tail hook 6 has been connected to the hanger 8 by pressingit into the cup so that the free end 3 of the hanger snaps into the hookeye 7. The hook has not been fully drawn onto the hanger loop in thisview. Hook 4 has been pressed into the lure body 1 and is being rotated90° so that it will disengage the spring hanger 5 so that it may bewithdrawn free of the lure and hanger.

FIG. 1 illustrates a manual assembly and disassembly procedure but itshould be realized that these simple mechanical assembly movements canreadily be accomplished by a machine.

A hollow lure may be fabricated using the techniques disclosed herein byfirst molding two halves of a lure body similar to those illustrated inFIG. 2. The halves 21 and 22 incorporate a plurality of one-half cupshaped recesses 23 which form the bores for the hook hangers when finalassembly is accomplished. Adjacent to each bore 23 in both lure bodyhalves 21 and 22 are channels 24 adapted to receive one leg of thespring hook hangers 25.

Lure body half 22 includes a small bore 26 at the end of channel 24which is adapted to receive the hook portion 27 of hanger 25 so thatwhen the lure is assembled the hangers 25 will be held securely withinthe lure body and their free ends 28 will be suspended within the cupsformed by depressions 23.

A channel 29 is provided in the front portion of each lure half 21 and22 and the channel in half 22 incorporates a bore 33 which is adapted toreceive a connector which may be provided with a simple eyelet 31 or itmay be a more secure connector 32 such as illustrated in FIG. 1 anddescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,821 on "Connector Combined With FishingFloat, Leader, Sinker Or Lure Apparatus" issued Mar. 11, 1975 toWelbourne D. McGahee.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention may be accomplished byproviding a hook hanger configuration in place of the connector 31 or32.

When assembling the hollow lure, the hangers 25 and connector 31 or 32are properly positioned and the two halves are sealed together. Once thehalves have been sealed together, hooks may be inserted by simplypressing them into the cups formed by cup halves 23 so that the end ofthe hangers 25 will engage the hook eye.

FIGS. 3A, B, C and D illustrate the steps of connecting a hook eye to apreferred embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 3A the bore or cup 2 hasa radius formed in the bottom dimensioned so that as the free end 3 ofthe spring retainer is forced toward the center of the bore it will notbind on the bottom. Thus when a hook eye 7 is placed between leg 3 andthe wall of the bore as illustrated in FIG. 3A and pushed down asillustrated in FIG. 3B the spring arm 3 is deflected toward the centerof the bore as the hook eye 7 approaches the bottom of the bore 2. Whenthe wire forming the hook eye passes the end of spring retainer leg 3 asin FIG. 3C, the spring retainer snaps toward the wall of bore 2 andenters the hook eye. The hook 7 may then be drawn out of the bore 2 asin FIG. 3D with the spring retainer passing through the hook eyesecuring it to the body 1.

Any attempt to remove the hook from the connector by pushing the hookinto the bore 2 and pulling it out will fail to disconnect the hook eyefrom the connector 4. For instance in FIG. 3C note that when the hook isin the extreme down position the end of retainer leg 3 is still throughthe eye of the hook and if the hook is depressed even further it isstopped by the bottom of the bore and forced toward the center causingthe retainer arm 3 to enter further into the eye.

FIGS. 4A, B, C and D illustrate the steps of removing a hook from theretainer. In FIG. 4A the hook 7 is positioned so that the eye is moveddown the free leg 3 of the retainer spring until it stops at theposition shown in FIG. 4B, which is the same position as when the hookis installed in FIG. 3C. The eye is pressed against the wall of bore 2and the end of spring retainer leg 3 is in the center of the eye. Thehook eye is then twisted 90° as illustrated in FIG. 4C. This causes oneside of the hook eye to engage spring retainer arm 3 and create afulcrum against which the hook eye may be rotated to snap it free fromthe end of the spring retainer leg 3. The hook eye becomes disengagedfrom the retainer as illustrated in FIG. 4C because the rotating motionof the hook eye deflects the end of the spring retainer arm 3 away fromthe wall of the bore 2, allowing the material of the hook eye to passtherebetween. Once the hook eye is free of the retainer it is removed bypulling it straight out of the bore 2 as illustrated in FIG. 4D.

FIGS. 5A, B, C and D illustrate an embodiment where the bore or cup 2has a flat bottom and the spring retainer is positioned so that inwarddeflection by the hook eye closes the gap between the bottom of the cupand the end of the retainer leg 3. A hook 7 is inserted in thisembodiment by sliding it down the wall of the bore as illustrated inFIG. 5A, twisting the hook past 90° as illustrated in 5B and withdrawingthe hook with the spring retainer arm through the eye as illustrated inFIG. 5C. The hook is removed by reversing the installation procedure,that is sliding the hook down the shaft of spring retainer arm 3 untilit is in the position illustrated in FIG. 5C and rotating the shaftgreater than 90° and withdrawing it along the side of the spring arm 3as illustrated in FIG. 5A.

Solid lures are produced by using a die similar to that illustrated inFIG. 15. The die incorporates grooves 41, 42 and 52 which are adapted toreceive the arcuate portions of hangers 43 and 44 and the section ofconnector 31 or 32 which will extend outside of the completed lure body.The embedded ends 53 of the hangers 43 and 44 and connector 31 or 32 arebent 90° as illustrated in FIG. 16 so they will not pull out understress. This bent section 53 cannot be seen in FIG. 15 due to theviewing angle.

The die halves also include channels 45 which are adapted to receive ashoulder portion of male mold inserts 46 which are placed over the freeends of the hangers to form a cup thereabout during the molding process.

The male mold sections 46 are more clearly illustrated in FIG. 16 whichshows a slit 47 in the side of the male mold which will permit the moldto be drawn off of the hanger after the lure body has been molded.

In FIG. 15 two mold halves have been brought together with the hangersand male molds in place ready for injection molding.

The male molds 46 may be dispensed with in solid body molds by using apre-assembled hanger comprised of a hollow cup 61 with a spring hangermember 62 welded to the outside as illustrated in FIG. 17. In thisembodiment the hanger is completely self contained and no furthermanipulations are required after the mold halves are removed from thelure body and before hooks are inserted. However, the die must bedimensioned so that the channels 41 and 42 will hold the hangers 62 sothat they will hold the open end of the cups 61 firmly against the innersurface of the mold cavity to prevent mold material from entering.

In the alternate embodiment illustrated in FIG. 19, the pre-assembledhanger is comprised of a preformed cup 63 which has a continuous channel64 along one side and the bottom dimensioned to receive the section 65of spring hanger 66 which will be immobile after final assembly. Aresilient ring 67 is positioned about the preformed cup 63 and springhanger 66 as illustrated to hold the two pieces together during themolding process. The ring 67 may be fabricated from a plastic ormetallic material. In a preferred embodiment, section 65 of springhanger 66 is bent to form an angle smaller than the angle of the channel64 at the transition from side to bottom. This is provided so that thespring hanger 66 will urge the preformed cup 63 against the mold cavitywall to keep molding material from entering the cup.

Fishing lures may be assembled as previously described using a varietyof hanger shapes similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 14.

FIG. 6 illustrates a hanger having relatively straight restraining andfree legs 10. This retainer configuration, as well as the other retainerconfigurations illustrated and discussed herein may be incorporated withdome shaped cup or bores, or flat bottom cups or bores which are closelyspaced to the retainer and/or spaced at a relatively great distancetherefrom.

FIG. 7 illustrates a spring retainer having a leg 20 wherein the endportion is bent at an angle of approximately 45° away from theconstrained leg.

The spring retainer illustrated in FIG. 8 utilizes a leg 30 having amodified "S" form.

FIG. 9 illustrates the use of a cup 41 which has an under cut portion 42adapted to receive the end of spring retainer leg 40. The springretainer is shown with a hook portion formed in the free end but it isto be understood that retainers having configurations similar to 10, 20and 30 illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 respectively may also be usedwith an under cut portion.

FIG. 10 discloses a spring retainer configured so that leg 50 curvesback toward the secured leg and stops essentially against the wall ofthe bore adjacent to the secured leg. When hooks having thisconfiguration or the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 11 or 12, themethod of inserting a hook eye 7 is to slide the eye 7 down the wall ofthe bore between the secured and free legs.

FIG. 11 illustrates a retainer wherein the free end 60 is bent at anangle of between 20° and 90° toward the fixed leg.

FIG. 12 illustrates a retainer configuration similar to that disclosedin FIGS. 10 and 11 adapted to cooperate with an under cut portion 72. Inthis configuration, the bore or cup 71 is configured with an under cutportion 72 adapted to receive the end of the spring retainer 70.

The retaining rod 90 illustrated in FIG. 13 is relatively rigid and thecup 91 is provided with an under cut portion 92 and 93. One end of therod 90 is secured in the under cut portion 92 by a hinge pin 94. The rodis dimensioned so that the other end will swing within the under cutportion 93 but will be prevented from exiting the surface of the body. Ahook 7 is secured in this retainer by forcing the hook 7 into the boreso that the rigid arm swings toward the bottom of the bore. The boremust be held in a straight down position so that gravity will cause therigid arm to drop through the hook eye 7 as one edge of the eye passesthereby. The hook is removed in this embodiment by rotating the hook eye7 90° when held in the bottom of the bore.

FIG. 14 discloses another use of a straight retainer rod 80. This rod isresilient and adapted to cross and descend the bore so that a hook eye 7will cause the end to be deflected downward as it is pushed into thebore. As the eye 7 passes the free end of retainer 80, retainer 80 willsnap into the eye opening of eye 7.

The sequence of the assembly method utilizing hook hangers similar tothose disclosed in the co-pending Pat. application Ser. No. 760,920 on"Loop Retainer" filed by Welbourne D. McGahee on Jan. 21, 1977 and thedevices previously discussed herein require steps similar to the flowdiagram illustrated in FIG. 18. In this flow diagram note that twodifferent processes are used to produce solid and hollow lure bodies butboth processes merge in the common step 89 of pressing hooks intohangers.

Considering each process in detail, note the first step 81 of producinga solid lure requires placing the hangers in a mold half adapted toreceive them. The next step, 82 is to close the mold after which step 83is performed wherein a suitable plastic is injected into the moldcavity. Once the injection molded lure body has been suitably cured, itis removed in step 84 from the mold halves. After removable, the lurebody complete with hangers is processed in step 89 where hooks arepressed into the hangers. In some instances step 89 will be done by thefisherman when lures are shipped with the hooks off.

In fabricating a hollow lure body the first step 85 is to mold two bodyhalves. When the body halves have cured, they are removed from the moldsin step 86 and hangers are placed in the hanger reception channels instep 87. After the hangers have been placed in the molded half, theother molded half is brought into position and the two halves are sealedtogether in step 88. After the halves have been assembled into a hollowlure body, hooks are pressed into the hanger cups in step 89.

The preceeding steps can be accomplished manually or they may beaccomplished by an automated machine utilizing well known automatedassembly procedures.

Although the preferred embodiments of this invention have beenillustrated and described, variations and modifications may be apparentto those skilled in the art. Therefore, I do not wish to be limitedthereto and ask that the scope and breadth of this invention bedetermined from the claims which follow rather than the abovedescription.

What I claim as a new and useful contribution to the art and for which Idesire Letters Patent is:
 1. A fishing lure, comprising:a lure body; anda hook hanger, comprising: a first bore penetrating the surface of saidbody; a second bore penetrating said body and an elongated retainerfabricated from a material having spring properties, said retainerincluding a secured end held rigidly within said body by the side wallsof said second bore and a free end positioned adjacent to the wall ofsaid first bore so that said elongated retainer descends into andcrosses a majority of the diameter of said first bore.
 2. A fishing lureas defined in claim 1, further comprising:a first shaft secured by oneend in the front of said lure body; an eyelet formed in the unsecuredend of said shaft and at a right angle to the longitudinal axis thereof;a second shaft within said eyelet having first and second ends onopposite sides of said eyelet, said second end located between saideyelet and said lure body; a substantially circular vertical eye memberas an integral extension of said first and of said second shaft; asubstantially circular horizontal eye member connected to said verticaleye member and encircling said second shaft; and an enlarged portion onsaid second end of said second shaft dimensioned to prevent said secondshaft from pulling through said first shaft eyelet.
 3. A fishing lure asdefined in claim 1, comprising first and second hook hangers wherein oneof said hook hangers is located in the front of said lure body.
 4. Afishing lure as defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated retainer has"U" shape configuration including an arcuate center portion.
 5. Afishing lure as defined in claim 4, wherein said secured end ispositioned to exit the surface of said body adjacent to said first boreso that said arcuate center portions forms a loop above the surface ofsaid body.
 6. A fishing lure as defined in claim 5, wherein said securedend and said free end of said retainer are parallel and oriented at anangle to the axis of said first bore.
 7. A fishing lure as defined inclaim 5, wherein said secured end and said free end of said retainer areparallel and oriented parallel to the axis of said first bore furtherincluding a bent portion at the end of said free end directed away fromsaid secured end.
 8. A fishing lure as defined in claim 7, wherein saidfirst bore includes an under cut portion and said bent end is elongatedand positioned to enter said under cut portion.
 9. A fishing lure asdefined in claim 5, wherein said free end is of serpentineconfiguration.
 10. A fishing lure as defined in claim 5, wherein saidfree end descends from said arcuate section across the diameter of saidfirst bore so that the end is adjacent to the wall of said first boreclosest to said secured end.
 11. A fishing lure as defined in claim 5,wherein said secured end and said free end of said retainer are paralleland along the axis of said first bore and said free end includes aportion bent toward said secured end and positioned adjacent to the wallof said first bore closest to said secured end.
 12. A fishing lure asdefined in claim 11, wherein said bore includes an under cut portion andsaid bent end is adapted to enter said under cut portion.
 13. A fishinglure as defined in claim 5, wherein the end of said free end ispositioned from the bottom of said first bore a predetermined distancecalculated to permit one side of a loop or eyelet to pass thereby.
 14. Afishing lure as defined in claim 5, wherein said first free end ispositioned immediately adjacent to the bottom of said first bore toprevent a loop or eye from passing thereby.
 15. A fishing lure,comprising:a lure body; a cup molded in said body; and an elongatedretainer fabricated from a material having spring properties, saidretainer including first a second secured end rigidly affixed to theside of said cup and a free end positioned adjacent to the interior wallof said cup so that said elongated retainer descends into and crosses amajority of the diameter of said cup.
 16. A fishing lure as defined inclaim 15, wherein said elongated retainer has a "U" shape configurationincluding an arcuate center portion which protrudes above the opening ofsaid cup.
 17. A fishing lure as defined in claim 16, wherein saidsecured end and said free end of said retainer are parallel and orientedat an angle to the axis of said cup.
 18. A fishing lure as defined inclaim 17, wherein said secured end and said free end of said retainerare parallel and along the axis of said cup and said free end includes abent end angled toward said secured end and positioned adjacent to thewall of said cup closest to said secured end.
 19. A fishing lure asdefined in claim 16, wherein said secured end and said free end of saidretainer are parallel and oriented parallel to the axis of said cupfurther including an angled portion at the end of said free end directedaway from said secured end.
 20. A fishing lure as defined in claim 16,wherein said free end is of serpentine configuration.
 21. A fishing lureas defined in claim 16, wherein said free end descends from said arcuatesection across the diameter of said cup so that the end is adjacent tothe wall of said cup closest to said secured end.
 22. A fishing lure asdefined in claim 21, wherein said cup includes an under cut portion andsaid bent end is elongated and positioned to enter said under cutportion.
 23. A fishing lure as defined in claim 16, wherein said cupincludes an under cut portion and said bent end is adapted to enter saidunder cut portion.
 24. A fishing lure as defined in claim 16, whereinthe end of said free end is positioned from the bottom of said cup apredetermined distance calculated to permit one side of a loop or eyeletto pass thereby.
 25. A fishing lure as defined in claim 15, wherein saidfree end is positioned immediately adjacent to the bottom of said cup toprevent a loop or eye from passing thereby.
 26. A fishing lure asdefined in claim 15, further comprising:a first shaft secured by one endin the front of said lure body; an eyelet formed in the unsecured end ofsaid shaft and at a right angle to the longitudinal axis thereof; asecond shaft within said eyelet having first and second ends on oppositesides of said eyelet, said second end located between said eyelet andsaid lure body; a transpose the a and the i circular vertical eye memberas an integral extension of said first and of said second shaft; asubstantially circular horizontal eye member connected to said verticaleye member and encircling said second shaft; and an enlarged portion onsaid second end of said second shaft dimensioned to prevent said secondshaft from pulling through said first shaft eyelet.
 27. A fishing lureas defined in claim 15, comprising first and second hook hangers whereinone of said hook hangers is located in the front of said lure body. 28.A fishing lure as defined in claim 15 wherein said cup comprises:apreformed cup including a continuous channel along one outer side andthe bottom adapted to receive said second end of said retainer; and aring positioned about said preformed cup and retainer dimensioned tohold said retainer in said continuous channel.
 29. A fishing lure;comprising:a lure body; and a hook hanger, comprising;a bore penetratingthe surface of said body; an elongated retainer, said retainer includinga secured end affixed to said body adjacent to the surface opening ofsaid bore and a free end positioned adjacent to the wall of said bore sothat said elongated retainer crosses a majority of the diameter of saidbore; and said bore including a first undercut section adapted toreceive said secured end of said retainer, a hinge pin adapted to securesaid secured end of said retainer in said first undercut section, and asecond undercut section of said bore opposite said first undercutsection, said elongated retainer dimensioned to cross the bore in afirst position and be retained by the overhang of said second undercutsection and swing into said bore in a second position to allow passageof a loop eye thereby.